so my usual mechanic was busy after getting an INSANE estimate from this place I called another shop to get an estimate (if I brought the part) --- $79 (for the camshaft, which costs me $45, the pressure switch costs me $23)
Here's where things got funny. Turns out my truck, which is actually a v6 4.0L (I knew deep down it was a v6, but doubted myself reading the report when making this posts, it's almost 20 years old afterall, and just regurgitated what they put on my sheet). And that model of Rangers don't have camshaft position sensors or power steering pressure switch I had two different people tell me. I was wondering why I couldn't find that switch anywhere and just bought a generic one and it also explains why I couldn't find the synchronizer to the camshaft. Either way, had that existed the markup on their labor versus another *mechanic* with a shop and everything legit was insane.
I called, bitched out the guy, explained this stuff doesn't even exist in my truck and he tries to argue with me before telling me he'll have his mechanic call me back. He calls me back and start spouting sh!t at me too (I double checked online before making the call too). My truck takes a crankshaft not a camshaft and the power steering thing doesn't exist. I also told him I got two completely different codes on the error report when I took it to another shop (had them print them up for me too) and that . One I had was completely unrelated and the other was for the KAM Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC). He immediately jumps in with ""SEE THERE'S THE CAM!"" and I'm like look this is KAM with a K, it's the Keep Alive Memory not a camshaft. He starts talking about the mechanic who worked on this had bad handwriting and he couldn't read it.
I asked him to acknowledge his shop made a mistake on his diagnostics report that I was given bad information that lead me to get parts that a) didn't need to be replaced and b) weren't possible to replace in my vehicle. He won't admit to it, because he hasn't talked to the guy who worked on it yet. I also inform him that he didn't even get my engine size right and that he's just using the information based off the sticker in the door (I replaced the door with a used one on the cheap when some lady t-boned me about 8 years ago) and that it didn't take a mechanic to recognize this wasn't a 4 cylinder (ignoring my previous gaff as well). He blames the vin number and I tell him I'd give him a pass on recommending me a 4c part versus a 6 if they were both available but it doesn't explain/excuse a diagnostic report that makes no f*cking sense. I told him he was bending me over and trying to take advantage of me and basically accused him of never popping my hood.
He told me he'd call me in the morning, likely after they get their story straight. I asked him ""why is no other shop in town giving me a quote anywhere NEAR $800 for this, even if it was the problem, how do you explain that?"" - he tells me ""oh well it's like 4 hours of labor"" and I said ""okay, what's your labor charge?"" - ""$97/hr"" - ""Where's the other $400 coming from then?""
He goes on to explain that parts for different cars cost more money. I told him I spent $45 on this part for the 4cylinder and it's really hard to believe the equivalent would be 10x that. Infact I price a 'crankshaft position sensor' before calling too, incase that's what he meant, and it was $35 for my truck. He tries to assure me it's a camshaft I need and how he couldn't find one in town either or at a ford dealer but was ""able to track one down from a private distributor he knows"" - aka he got busted pulling some sh!t out of his ass that he probably normally gets away with.
Not once did they ever admit fault or apologize or even offer to redo the inspection. I got off the phone and called Chase and asked them to try and reclaim my $110 from the shop for charging me for a service they did not provide.
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